Helen Rose Olding

In Loving Memory of Helen Rose Olding – Hoesl

January 16, 1938 – June 29, 2025

With heavy hearts, we share the unexpected passing of Helen Rose Olding – Hoesl, who departed this world peacefully on June 29, 2025, in Jackson, Michigan, at the age of 87. Though her passing came as a surprise, she was surrounded by the love of her family.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 16, 1938, Helen was the daughter of Nicholas and Marie Hoesl. She grew up in the Westwood neighborhood of Cincinnati. She attended Mother of Mercy High School and Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing, class of 1959. This is where her lifelong dedication to caring for others began to blossom. This quality would go on to define her life and legacy.

Helen was a devoted mother, a proud nurse, and a woman of quiet strength. After her divorce, she raised her four children in Jackson, Michigan. She later earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree from Wayne State University—an achievement she pursued not for recognition, but out of a deep love for healing and service.
 

Nursing was more than a profession for Helen—it was her passion. She spent 28 years at W.A. Foote Hospital and another 16 years at the University of Michigan Health System, retiring at the remarkable age of 77. She also taught aspiring nurses at Jackson Community College and served as a caregiver for numerous home health organizations. Helen often worked multiple jobs, not out of necessity, but because she truly loved caring for others.
 

She is survived by her beloved children: Robert Olding (Eden Prairie, MN), Elizabeth Navarre (Jackson, MI), Mathew Olding (Moab, UT), and Michael Olding (Sacramento, CA); her eleven grandchildren: Kristin, Kevin, Jesse, Jacob, Maxwell, Chanel, Lark, Addicus, Odin, Jillian, and Alexis; and five great-grandchildren: Skyler, Aiden, Rickarion, Raziyah, and Alanna.
 

Helen also leaves behind her siblings: Nicholas Hoesl, Ester Meyer, Joan Schott, Clare Hoesl, and Joe Hoesl, along with many extended family members and dear friends who will carry her memory in their hearts.

She was preceded in death by her ex-husband, Robert C Olding; her parents, Nicholas and Marie Hoesl; and her siblings Mary Jean Hessel, Wilma Barrett, Richard Hoesl, Tom Hoesl, Ruth Molony, and Charles Hoesl.

Helen wasn’t exactly a whiz in the kitchen—her culinary empire consisted of just two dishes: tuna noodle casserole and spaghetti. But what she lacked in recipes, she made up for in charm. And when it came to slot machines, Helen was a high roller at heart. She played with the kind of optimism that made you believe the next spin really could be the big one.
 

Helen will be remembered as a kind, very generous and compassionate soul. Her legacy lives on in the lives she touched, the family she nurtured, and the countless patients she cared for with tenderness and skill.

A caring, gentle soul who left us too soon!
 

“See you later, alligator.” Helen
 

There will be a celebration of life for Helen later in Cincinnati, Ohio. Per her wishes cremation has taken place at Watson Funeral Chapel: www.watson-funeral-chapel.com Please contact her daughter Elizabeth for more information at: helenroseolding@gmail.com

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